Chapter One

Chapter One
         The harder he pulled, it seemed, the heavier the net became. Sweat drenched his shirtless body and poured from his forehead. Veins bulged from his lean arms, while the unrelenting sun scorched his muscular back. While the burning in his calves, arms, and legs was severe from the effort, the net gradually began to ascend.

         The net broke the surface and produced a beautiful show as the sun gleamed off the metallic-colored fish and the water pouring back into the sea. With a mighty haul, his catch crashed onto the pier. Without gravity and the weight of water, the net proved to be much lighter as he dragged it towards land.

         He passed his best friend, Calech Harring, who was also bringing in fish nets.

         Calech dwarfed everyone in the village, standing well over 7 feet tall, and was built like a bull. Calech was known for working as hard as 2-3 men and doing the job better than they would. As Jason passed Calech, his huge friend was pulling two nets out of the water, with one hand grasping each, as if they were a sack of potatoes. Calech's strength was perplexing. Jason was by no means weak, and easily one of the strongest individuals in the village, but Calech was, well, a freak of nature; as the townspeople had taken to calling him.

         Once ashore Jason dropped his load with the man who handled the fish and went back to the pier to hall another load. The work was arduous, but a mindless task that was welcomed; not to mention how much stronger it had made him.

         He always excelled in sword training with his father, but after a few months of working on the piers, he noticed he was swinging faster and hitting harder.

         Jason worked until the sun was all but down giving off its last brilliant glow across the sea's horizon. He set the nets for the morning's catch before returning to town. He was on his way to meet his friends outside of the town's inn for a few hours of mingling.

         Xinting was a small town, though the capital of Ferterith and the place he called home. There were shops, a few inns, and houses, but nothing like the things from stories about which he heard. His grandmother had told him a story, before she died, of buildings rising high into the sky, higher than the birds even. Jason knew it was just a story, but he liked to dream.

         He found Calech where he said he would be, in front of the Weary Traveler, as well as Bellrai, but Andruw was nowhere to be seen.

         "Don't know where he is," shrugged Calech, as if answering his unspoken question.

Jason looked around, at the throng crowding into the inn for some drinking and the silhouettes of people far off in the darkness of the city streets.

"Well you know Andruw," said Jason, "he likes to be late for the attention.

         They all laughed, unsure of whether his remark was meant sarcastic or meant to be taken literally.

         "What's that smell?" asked Calech, seemingly out of the blue.

         They all looked at one another, and Jason kept his eyes on Bellrai.

         "It's coming from your pack, Bell," he told her.

         "That's nonsense," she replied in her squeaky voice as she whipped her pack from her back to her front, "it's ..."

         The smell caught her off guard and left her speechless. She opened the pack and rummaged through it slowly. Her hand found the culprit and lifted it out of the pack.

         The scream she let out was so high pitched Jason had no choice but to cover his ears, as she dropped both her pack and the smelly thing.

         She ran away, but stopped screaming. Jason stepped in for a closer look. It was a dead rat.

         Just then Andruw  rounded the corner from the alley, laughing hysterically and slapping his knee.

         "You little," screamed Bellrai as she went after him.

         He gently brushed her aside as he slid past her and ran away. She did not give up and continued after him. The game of cat-and-mouse went on for a little longer, until Bellrai ran out of breath.

         "I swear, when I get my hands on you," said Bellrai between gasps.

         Andruw couldn't control his laughter, which only proceeded to exasperate her further.

         "I'm sorry dear," said Andruw, sarcastically, "It was all meant as a joke."

         "Oh, yes. Come here baby," said Bellrai, going along with it, "It was just a joke."

         He laughed, but walked over to her, ready to accept his punishment for his prank.
         Andruw loved pranks. Ever since Jason could remember he had been cutting holes in undergarments, or filling a treat with salt, or any other little prank. That was just Andruw; he didn't take life seriously and lived for fun. He was a welcome change to Xinting's dreariness.          

         After a few playful slaps from Bellrai, the two embraced and gave each other a kiss, laughing all the way. Andruw pulled her bright red hair behind her ears, planted a kiss on her forehead, and hugged her closely.

         "Gang's all here," stated Calech.

         "That was a mean one, Andruw, the other ones were mean too, but that was just disgusting."

         "Ha, that's nothing, remember what I did to Mrs. Lampolz?"

         Jason remembered, and it had caused Andruw to receive a beating from his father as well as part of his salary to pay for the damages.

         "Yes, yes, I remember, but you shouldn't be pooling pranks of girls, especially your girlfriend."

         "My pretty girlfriend," Andruw corrected with a smile.
         Her pale face blushed and she gave him another kiss.

         "So what's on the agenda tonight?" asked Andruw, still holding Bellrai in his arms.

         "Not much, there never is in this town," replied Jason bleakly.

         Calech rose from a bench, walked over to Jason, and planted a massive hand on his shoulder.

         "All you ever do is talk about how much you hate this place. Don't you think it's time to accept it? I mean this is your home Jason. Do you see what I'm trying to say."

         "Yes, I do; Calech. I just thought there was more to life than this, you know?"

         "Well, I don't see how there can be. I mean, this is life. Work, sleep, eat. That's the way life has always been. It may not be as glorious as the stories, but it's how we survive."

         "My life is right here in my arms," Andruw flirtingly said to Belltai as they rubbed each other's noses with their own.

         Jason ignored the couple. They were so in love that they were in a world of their own. He looked at Calech.

         "Have you ever looked into the night sky, at the stars and just wondered about just how much more there is out there. I can't help but feel that we are but a speck to the grand scheme of things. I want to see the world, Calech; I don't want to live my entire life here and then die like my grandfather and all of his father's before him. I want to make a difference. I want to change the world. I want to be remembered."

         "You've heard too many of Nan-nan's stories. Sure, I'd love to be a knight going about saving princesses and taking them into my bed, but I can't. That's why they are just stories. I'm a realist. I know that this is my life and that my life is fine."

         "If you say so, Calech."

         The rest of the night was spent wandering the streets, chatting about this and that. Jason didn't have as much fun as most days he spent with his friends. All he could think about was the fact that in the morning the only thing waiting for him would be the fishing net.